News Updates

VSPCA September 2006 Newsletter

Dear friends,

The great summer flood disasters took us by surprise this year, and we have been busy providing relief to the surrounding areas ever since. We had been worried about this current cyclone season (September - November), but we did not expect such tragic, unprecedented conditions to develop so early.

The good news is that we have helped well over 27,000 animals with the generous support of WSPA and individual donors. On behalf of the animals, we express our heartfelt gratitude to you all.

Thankfully the floods have subsided, but our outreach teams still continue their vital work as much as they can. Our flood reports can be read online.

In this newsletter:

• The sea turtle saga: a court success
• Pradeep Nath's recent court hearing
• Victory at the Visakha airport to prevent animals from being shot
• Shelter updates – cat project
• Catching the cat eaters
• New monkey dwelling and aviary
• Rescued monkeys
• Demonstration in support of the cow

The sea turtle saga – a court success

Pending since 2000, we have been fighting this false case brought against us for allegedly disturbing a sea turtle's nest. It finally was quashed in the Andhra Pradesh High Court in August 2006. Read the full story.

Read our new sea turtle report.

Pradeep Nath's court hearing against cow-butchers

In January 2004, VSPCA founder Pradeep K. Nath was severely and brutally beaten by butchers as he attempted to call the police to stop the illegal slaughter of five cows and two calves who were being taken by two laborers to the slaughterhouse. Read the full story.

Victory for animals at the Visakha airport

For the past four years VSPCA has been writing to the District Authorities to stop shooting birds around the airport and to stop threatening to kill pigs and goats in the airport's vicinity because of the hazards to the plane traffic. Read the full story, and the article in The Hindu.

Shelter updates – cat project

We continue to improve our cat ABC (animal birth control) project. We are doing several surgeries a day and need help so we can do more. Sadly, we are now finding dead kittens and cats in the dustbins around town and it is quite distressing. We are also looking for funding to build a separate place for the kittens and a quarantine. It is imperative that we maintain and expand these programs to make a real difference for the cats. Please contact us for further information about how you can help.

Catching the cat eaters

VSPCA has been great at turning people's minds around to help rather than prey on animals (sea turtles, cobras, parrots). Recently, we began rehabilitating feral cat eaters by paying them to humanely catch the cats and bring them to us for spay/neuter. The cats then go on to live their full nine lives. Click here for the full story.

New monkey dwelling and aviary

Finally after many months of design problems, dramatically increased construction costs, foul weather and debilitating disease afflicting our workers, we are moving our monkeys and parrots into their new dwellings.

Rescued monkeys

Three monkeys have been rescued from their life in shackles and living in a garbage heap. Read more ...

Read the story in The Hindu – "Shackled simians wait for Saviour ".

July demonstration in support of the cow

"We protested along with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad people against the Simhachalam temple – one of the oldest and most revered temples in the area. Calves are donated by the hundreds to the temple by ignorant devotees who do not realize the temple turns around and sells them through a middleman to butchers. In the old days the temple would maintain a goshala (shelter) to take care of them, but now the calves are dragged away for the meat market, even though cow slaughter is against the law in India. We are still petitioning and monitoring the temple to end this unfortunate practice".
– Pradeep Nath

We Need Your Help

Please help VSPCA grow so we can extend our reach and influence for the animals. We need your steady and continuing support to run the shelter, fund our outreach teams and continue our humane awareness programs which are going to be big soon as we promote World Animal Day and World Wildlife Week during the first week of October.

Please consider donating.

Infinite gratitude to all our special friends who have helped us this summer: The Ahimsa Foundation of Boston, WSPA (World Society for Protection of Animals), Ms. Olive Walker, Mrs. Maneka Gandhi and the Secretary of AWBI (Animal Welfare Board of India), Animal People News, The Winsome Constance Kindness Trust, Ms. Margaret Gebhard, Amphibian Design for our web site; veterinary supplies from Animal Rescue League of Boston; Sharon St. Joan for editing our blogs on Best Friends International Friends Network; Hungerford Design and individual donors who responded generously with all their heart, mostly to help with the flood outreach appeals: Robert and Sherri Andrews, Syd Baumel, Lisa Davers, Heidemarie Dittrich, Franziska Edwards, Chris and Eileen Fletcher, Chi Lam Fung, Esther Geisser, Ray Guinan, Lek Hanshin, Judy Hungerford, Glynis and Eileen Jennings, Sharon St. Joan, Ellen Maher, Brian Mann, Patricia Mark, James J. Moran, Sri Lakshmi Nalla, Bosky Ravindranath, Joellen Secundo, Mohan Srireddy, Sue and John Shaw, Victoria Stack, Karen Taylor; Ellen Waggoner, Andrew Wells, Rajesh and Sita Vedula.

Please sign the petition to the United Nations "Animals Matter to Me".